Aromatherapy vs Music Therapy for Anxiety in Children During Dental Radiography

July 17, 2026 updated by: Nigde Omer Halisdemir University

Comparative Evaluation of the Effects of Aromatherapy and Music Therapy on Anxiety in Children Undergoing Oral Radiological Examination for the First Time

This study aims to evaluate and compare the effects of aromatherapy and music therapy on anxiety levels in children undergoing intraoral radiographic examination for the first time. Dental anxiety is a common problem in pediatric patients and can negatively impact cooperation and treatment outcomes.

Children included in the study will be randomly assigned to four groups: aromatherapy and music group, aromatherapy group, music therapy group, or control group. In the aromatherapy group, children will be exposed to a selected essential oil (lavender oil) before the radiographic procedure, while in the music therapy group, children will listen to calming music through a speaker. The group receiving both aromatherapy and music therapy will listen to music while being exposed to the essential oil. The control group will receive standard care without any additional intervention.

Anxiety levels will be assessed before and after the radiographic procedure using the Facial Imaging Scale (FIS). Simultaneously, pulse rate will be measured before and after the procedure using a finger pulse oximeter. The primary aim is to determine whether aromatherapy, music therapy, or a combination of both is more effective in reducing anxiety compared to the control group.

The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the development of simple, non-invasive, and cost-effective methods to improve the comfort and cooperation of pediatric patients during dental radiographic procedures.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
100

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Niğde, Turkey (Türkiye), 51100
        • Recruiting
        • Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University Faculty of Dentistry
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Children requiring panoramic radiography for dental examination
  2. No previous history of dental radiographic procedures
  3. Ability to understand and cooperate with the procedure
  4. Provision of written informed consent by parents or legal guardians

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Presence of hearing or olfactory impairment
  2. Use of medications that may affect anxiety levels or heart rate
  3. Presence of systemic or neurological disorders
  4. Inability to cooperate with the study procedures
  5. Refusal of the child or parent/guardian to participate

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Music Therapy (MG)
Behavioral: Music Therapy
Children were exposed to music therapy prior to panoramic radiography. Pachelbel's Canon in D major was played in the clinical environment at a comfortable volume to promote relaxation and reduce anxiety.
Experimental: Aromatherapy (AG)
Behavioral: Aromatherapy
Lavender essential oil was diffused into the clinical environment prior to panoramic radiography using an aroma diffuser to reduce anxiety and promote relaxation.
Experimental: Music Therapy + Aromatherapy (MAG)
Behavioral: Music Therapy
Children were exposed to music therapy prior to panoramic radiography. Pachelbel's Canon in D major was played in the clinical environment at a comfortable volume to promote relaxation and reduce anxiety.
Behavioral: Aromatherapy
Lavender essential oil was diffused into the clinical environment prior to panoramic radiography using an aroma diffuser to reduce anxiety and promote relaxation.
Other: Control Group (CG)
Other: Routine Care
Children received standard clinical care without any additional intervention prior to panoramic radiography.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Anxiety level assessed by Facial Image Scale (FIS)
Time Frame: Immediately before and immediately after panoramic radiography
Children's anxiety levels were assessed using the Facial Image Scale (FIS), a validated tool for measuring dental anxiety in pediatric patients. It consists of a series of five pictures of faces (from 1 to 5), ranging from very happy to very unhappy. The scale is scored with a score of 1 for the face with the most positive emotion and a score of 5 for the face with the most negative emotion. Scores obtained before and after the radiographic procedure were compared.
Immediately before and immediately after panoramic radiography

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Heart rate
Time Frame: Immediately before and immediately after panoramic radiography
Heart rate was recorded as a physiological indicator of anxiety before and after the radiographic procedure.
Immediately before and immediately after panoramic radiography
Presence artifacts in panoramic radiographs
Time Frame: Immediately after panoramic radiography
Panoramic radiographs were evaluated by an experienced radiologist for the presence of artifacts affecting image quality.
Immediately after panoramic radiography

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Nigde Omer Halisdemir University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 5, 2026

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
September 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 14, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 14, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 21, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 20, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 17, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • NigdeOHU-AromatherapyMusic

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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